Cincinnati Folk singer/songwriter Matt Baumann goes on a prolific release spree with much more music coming soon

Five years ago, Matt Baumann was exploring the fringes of avant garde Jazz and creating sparse Ambient soundscapes with nothing more than his alto/tenor saxophones (he occasionally duoed with friends Eric Barnett and Jim Feist, but largely worked on his own) and a vision of crafting a quietly powerful body of work. At the time of our last interview, in late 2008, Baumann namechecked all the right Jazz influences — John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Jan Garbarek — but he also ticked off a number of singer/songwriters whose work had been more inspirational than influential, from Warren Zevon and Tom Waits to Jason Molina and David Bazan, saying that he attempted to channel their passion and not necessarily their method of expressing it.In 2011, disillusioned with the local Jazz scene, Baumann opted for the singer/songwriter route, learning to play the plectrum banjo but maintaining his lone wolf performing status. That may well have been Baumann's inspiration for adopting the nom de plume of WolfCryer, as well as his desire to begin a fresh new direction. His acclaimed eponymous debut EP dropped in 2012 and he's been steadily working the Folk/Americana scene ever since, but the last few months have been especially productive with the release of a trio of evocative, emotionally engaging and typically atmospheric EPs. The first,The Long Ride Home, dropped quietly last September and showcased a new WolfCryer of sorts, as Baumann added acoustic guitar and harmonica to an arsenal already loaded with melancholy melodicism ("Roll Call of Ghosts") and intelligent wordplay ("Never Carry More Than You Can Hold"). &lt;a href="http://wolfcryer.bandcamp.com/album/the-long-ride-home"&gt;The Long Ride Home by WolfCryer&lt;/a&gt;The next two WolfCryer EPs, sporting four tracks each, have come in fairly rapid succession; Hell's Coming Down came out at the end of November and Wild Spaces dropped on New Year's Day, both generally following the template of The Long Ride Home and both stacked with highlights, like the lovely "Andromeda" and winsome "whiskeyheart" (where Baumann's banjo makes a welcome reappearance) on the former, the expansive "Lonely Country" and the heartrending "Better to Be" on the latter.&lt;a href="http://wolfcryer.bandcamp.com/album/wild-spaces"&gt;Wild Spaces by WolfCryer&lt;/a&gt;Baumann was a cluster recordist back in his Jazz days, and that aspect of his creative life hasn't changed much; on the heels of his last three EPs, released over the course of the last three months, his plans for the new year include both his debut and sophomore full-length albums (the proposed title track for the latter, "Box of Bones," is posted below). Originally slated for next month, WolfCryer's debut album, The Ivory in the Narrows, has been pushed to a summer release, but his Feb. 15 release show at Southgate House Revival remains intact as Baumann is re-releasing The Long Ride Home, which was never given an actual official release in the first place. &lt;a href="http://wolfcryer.bandcamp.com/album/box-of-bones"&gt;Box of Bones by WolfCryer&lt;/a&gt;If you think a guy and a guitar is drab, give WolfCryer a shot; given the slightest opportunity, he'll build a quiet and beautiful new room in your heart.

Music and more from the 10 new artists appearing at Saturday’s local music showcase at Bogart’s

Saturday at Bogart’s you’ll have a chance to see 10 of Greater Cincinnati’s finest up-and-comers as CityBeat presents the first “Best New Bands” showcase. The event coincides with our “Best New Bands” cover story, featuring profiles and info on all of the performers — grab a copy if you haven’t. Below is the lineup, which includes all six of the local acts nominated in the “New Artist of the Year” category and four other favorites, plus some audio/video previews to whet your appetite. Click the artists’ name to read CityBeat’s stories (and some great original photography) about each. The stories include links to the acts’ websites and more music. The doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bogart’s and admission is just $5. Performers will be featured on two stages, so it will be non-stop music all night.7:30 p.m. Pop Goes the Evil 8 p.m. Molly Sullivan 8:30 p.m. Injecting Strangers &lt;a href="http://injectingstrangers.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-nancy"&gt;Nightmare Nancy by Injecting Strangers&lt;/a&gt;9 p.m. ADM 9:30 p.m. Mardou 10 p.m. Austin Livingood 10:30 p.m. Archer's Paradox11 p.m. Little Lights 11:30 p.m. Tweens 12:15 a.m. Electric Citizen

A look at some of Greater Cincinnati’s top artists to watch in 2014

Local music has been a priority at CityBeat
ever since the paper was founded almost 20 years ago. And a huge part
of that focus has been on new artists, the lifeblood of any strong music
scene. Judging by the new artists who grabbed
our attention in 2013, the future of the Greater Cincinnati music scene
is in very good hands.

In 2013, Belle Histoire’s Jane Smith planted new
musical seeds with her solo venture Decker while insisting Belle
Histoire was merely on hiatus. But when guitarist Austin Livingood
stepped up to the solo plate last summer and knocked his debut EP, The Weightless Anchor: By Plane (I), out of the park, the writing was on the wall.

Archer’s Paradox formed in 2012, and
it wasn’t long before the newly minted six-piece was making a name for
itself, grabbing a slot at the inaugural Bunbury Music Festival and
earning a growing number of converts.

Inspired by the Beats, other local musicians and early Post Punk, Mardou made waves in 2013

Mardou calls its music “Post Punk/Noise
Pop shit,” which is as good a descriptor as any. The fresh-faced local
quartet had a fruitful 2013,
dropping a pair of addictive EPs that recall myriad sonic antecedents (most
notably Joy Division and Sonic Youth) yet are intriguing enough on their
own to yield genuine excitement about what these guys might conjure
going forward.

Friends unite at MOTR tonight to help local musician replace stolen instruments

Just after Christmas, multi-instrumentalist Justin Todhunter, who performs with the Folk/Americana band Jake Speed and the Freddies and the Bluegrass group Rattlesnakin’ Daddies, was the victim of a home invasion that resulted in the loss of most of his valuables, including the tools of his trade — his instruments. The instruments taken are likely making their way around the black market, so keep an eye out at local music and pawn shops, as well as online sites like Craigslist. Here are the instruments, which Todhunter posted on his Facebook page just after the break-in at his Westwood home: a 1985 Kentucky KM-1000 mandolin; a 2008 Eastman MD 815 mandolin (red finish); a 2005 Martin OOO-M acoustic guitar; a 2000 Blue Fender Stratocaster guitar (Mexican); a 1949 National 1088 Triplex Lap Steel guitar; and a 2009 Douglas bass guitar (Hofner copy). If you spot any of the instruments, let Todhunter know through his Facebook page at facebook.com/jdogfreddies. Besides keeping a lookout for the instruments, you can also help Todhunter tonight when MOTR Pub (1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com) hosts a benefit show to assist in replacing the items. Both the Freddies and Rattlesnakin’ Daddies are scheduled to perform. Showtime is 9 p.m. There is no cover charge but, obviously, donations are strongly encouraged. If you can’t make the show, fellow member of the Freddies Chris Werner has also set up a donation site through FundRazr. Visit fundrazr.com/campaigns/6fkQ4 to donate. When we went to press with this story last Tuesday, $700 had already been donated. That has doubled in less than a week.

Friends and fans of local musician Justin Todhunter step up to help after a post-Christmas break-in left him without his prized instruments. Plus, CEA voting ends soon, Strangetunge hosts a winter party and Tracy Walker and Chris Collier help College Hill Coffee Co. celebrate its eighth birthday.